Gilroy's Population Grew Fastest In County During Past Decade, Census Count Shows

Figures released Tuesday from the 2010 census show that Gilroy's population grew 17.7 percent over the decade from 2000-10.

That growth outpaced runner-up Cupertino at 15.3 percent and blazed past the county average of 5.9 percent growth.

Overall, the city's population is 48,821, an increase of 7,357 residents compared with 2000.

In California, the population grew 9 percent from 2000-10.

Gilroy’s population was lower than expected, according to City Administrator Tom Haglund, with detailed estimates from the California Department of Finance putting Gilroy at 52,027 last year.

The difference wouldn’t mean a major shift in how the city does business, but smaller numbers may complicate efforts to apply for the annual Federal Community Development Block Grants that have helped to fund projects like the expansion of the youth center at San Ysidro park, he said.

“The annual allocation has a number of variables, but the most important is your population,” said Haglund.

There were 11 percent fewer youth in Gilroy in 2010, representing 30.7 percent of the population.

The town's Hispanic/Latino population grew 4 percent in 2010, encompassing 57.8 percent of the total population. The only population that shrank in its representation were whites, down 6.4 percent to 31.4 percent of the town's population.

There were 22.2 percent more homes built in the past 10 years, but there wasn't as much of a demand to fill them. The number of vacant homes rose from 2.3 to 4.6 percent, and the total number of homes by 2010 were 14,854.

Check out the census data on American Fact Finder.

Editor's note: The original calculation for Gilroy's population growth was incorrect. The article has been changed to reflect the correction.